On Jan. 4, 2025, Freddie De Tommaso sang an unexpected concert at the Gstaad New Year Music Festival. The British-Italian tenor jumped in to sing a concert replacing Andrè Schuen who was ill. De Tommaso sang a program of “Favorite arias for tenor” alongside James Baillieu at the piano. The concert happened only a day after De Tommaso made his {…}
It is time to wrap up the year and look back at our favorite moments and performers. After releasing our favorite performances of 2024 and showcasing our rising stars of the year, it’s time for OperaWire’s annual tradition of naming our top 11 singers of the year, performers that we thought stood out. Performers who had major breaks, headlined major productions or simply had {…}
The Verbier Festival has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The Verbier Festival Orchestra and Barbara Hannigan perform works by Berlioz, Haydn, Copland, Rodgers, and Bill Elliot. Performance Date: July 17, 2025 Thomas Hampson and Ksenija Sidorova perform works by Schubert and Weill. Performance Date: July 20, 2025 The VF Academy Atelier Lyrique and {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) On Nov. 12, the Metropolitan Opera revived its production of Puccini’s “Tosca” to celebrate 100 years of the composer’s death. It was the second cast in the season following an acclaimed turn from Aleksandra Kurzak in September. For this evening, the Met put its hopes on what, on paper, looked like an all-star cast {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) On Nov. 12, the Metropolitan Opera will revive Puccini’s “Tosca” with an all-star cast that includes one of today’s most in-demand divas and one of the best Verdi baritones in the industry. But for most Met audiences it will be the debut of one of today’s leading tenor’s that will be the reason to {…}
(Photo: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024–25 Live in HD season will continue with Puccini’s “Tosca” on Nov. 23. The HD will star Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen in the title role, tenor Freddie De Tommaso in his company debut as Cavaradossi, and baritone Quinn Kelsey as Scarpia. Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi returns as the Sacristan and Yannick Nézet-Séguinconducts David {…}
Deutsche Grammophon’s Stage + is set to present three vocal performances in October. First, the Georg Solti Accademia will present a star-studded gala at the Hungarian State Opera and will feature Aigul Akhmetshina, Freddie De Tommaso, Hera Hyesang Park, and Paul Grant, all alumni of the Georg Solti Accademia’s Bel Canto Course for Singers. This is the first time these four {…}
The Georg Solti Accademia will present a star-studded gala at the Hungarian State Opera. Set for Oct. 20, 2024, the showcase will feature Aigul Akhmetshina, Freddie De Tommaso, Hera Hyesang Park, and Paul Grant, all alumni of the Georg Solti Accademia’s Bel Canto Course for Singers. This is the first time these four artists perform together. “This concert broadcast is {…}
(Credits: Hermann und Clärchen Baus) Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca,” adapted from a play by Victorien Sardou, was famously criticized by American musicologist Joseph Kerman, who dismissed it as a “shabby little shocker” and predicted its swift decline from the operatic canon. Despite this, “Tosca” endures as a favorite among audiences, thanks to Puccini’s brilliant music and masterful orchestration that elevate it {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond/Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera is set to present Puccini’s “Tosca” for 13 performances. The production, which runs between Sept. 25 and Jan. 23, will feature three casts. The opening cast in September–October, will star soprano Aleksandra Kurzak in the title role alongside tenor SeokJong Baek and baritone George Gagnidze. Xian Zhang and Marco Armiliato conduct. OperaWire raved {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get some Verdi and Monteverdi releases as well as the release of a world premiere album. Verdi Decca releases an album from the Teatro alla Scala which showcases Riccardo Chailly and La Scala as they maintain the gold standard {…}